


Florian and Zara

by Thistlerose



Category: Westmark - Lloyd Alexander
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 11:12:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/798060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thistlerose/pseuds/Thistlerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in 2006 and set during "The Beggar Queen," shortly before Florian leaves Regia.  He and Zara make their goodbyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Florian and Zara

Florian called Zara his russet divinity and as he watched her pace his small study, he silently congratulated himself once more on the aptness of that epithet; in the firelight, her hair gleamed like polished copper and, like all things divine, she was quite beyond his reach. 

There were so many barriers between them – her fury for one.

"This is foolish," she said, not for the first time that evening, as she paused by the window. She crossed her arms over her chest and though her face was in shadow, Florian knew that she was glaring at him. "You are pinning your hopes on a child. Two children."

"My children," Florian reminded her gently. 

"Theo perhaps. I don't trust Justin." There was disdain in her voice.

"I trust Justin to fight for the right side."

"He'll fight against Cabbarus. No question of that. But for you? No. And certainly not for the queen. Justin is his own cause."

There was some truth in her words. The loss of Justin grieved Florian more than he dared reveal to anyone, but there was nothing now that he could do. Theo knew the source of Justin's pain; if Theo could not reach him, there was none in Westmark or Regia who could. 

Florian had not realized how long the silence had stretched until Zara said, "I'm right."

Florian smiled. "Nevertheless, I must sail for Westmark within the week. You must go ahead of me, to alert all who stand with us."

"Not all of them will be standing with _us._ " Zara turned her head and Florian found himself studying her profile as though he had not known her for years. She was beautiful, he reflected, like a tigress or a finely wrought blade. There should have been men willing to break themselves against the invisible walls she built, but she loved Florian and had no wish to be loved in return, even by him. 

All of his children might be better off if he had cut their strings long ago.

"I will go," Zara said. "And alert Theo and Mickle. I only wish…" She faltered, and each beat after her words struck Florian because he could not remember the last time she had sounded so uncertain. She recovered quickly. "I wish you were not such a fool."

"My child." She did not want him to go to her, so he simply sat there with his hands on his knees, the palms turned toward the ceiling. "We're all fools."

"Yes." A corner of Zara's mouth quirked, but it did not become a smile.

When she turned and walked toward the door her hair gleamed as though it had caught a shower of sparks. After she had gone, the room seemed darker and cold despite the summer breeze coming through the window.

It occurred to Florian that he might not see Zara or any of his children again.

11/17/06


End file.
